Schools which are part of the programme work with us and each other to address homophobic bullying and promote a safe and inclusive learning environment for all children and young people.
Click here to download the School Champions application form
New changes in the law require schools to take proactive action. The Equality Act 2010 introduced for the first time a duty on schools requiring them actively to tackle issues such as homophobic bullying and the protection of those who might experience it. Being part of the programme will help to ensure you are complying with the Act.
Schools have a duty to protect all their students. Nine in ten secondary school teachers and more than two in five primary school teachers say
pupils, regardless of their sexual orientation, experience homophobic bullying, name calling or harassment. Those affected include boys who apply themselves academically, girls who ‘behave like boys’, pupils with same-sex parents, and often anyone simply seen as different.
Education Scotland evaluations. During school inspections, inspectors from Education Scotland evaluate the extent to which all young people are cared for, treated fairly and with respect, and listened to. They look at anti-bullying policies and how the school promotes equality and diversity. Inspectors also evaluate how the learning needs of all young people are being met. If bullying or unfair treatment are found to have an adverse impact on young people’s health and wellbeing, learning or achievement, this will be taken into account in deciding the overall evaluations of the school’s performance.
How does homophobic bullying impact on young people’s achievement,
attainment and attendance?
Stonewall’s “The School Report”, researching the experiences of more than 1,100 secondary school pupils, found that seven out of ten gay pupils who had experienced homophobic bullying said this had an impact on their school work. Half of those who had experienced homophobic bullying had skipped school more than six times.
How do we access whole staff training?
Being a member of the School Champions Scotland programme enables you to receive high quality whole staff training at a discounted rate. The training includes how to prevent and tackle homophobic bullying and homophobic language and how to talk about different families and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the curriculum.
We want to find out about how to include lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the curriculum and to talk about different families; whatresources do you have to do this?
Our resources include our feature length DVD ‘FIT’ which is a perfect way to talk about sexual orientation and homophobic bullying ‘Different Families’ will enable you to talk about all types of different families, including same sex families, in an age appropriate way in primary schools.
Membership of the programme is £200 + VAT per year for secondary schools, and £100 + VAT per year for primary schools.
Joining the School Champions Scotland programme is very easy. Simply complete the application form below and submit it. Our Finance team will then process your membership payment and a member of the Stonewall Scotland team will contact you to schedule your initial meeting.
School Champions Scotland Application Form
The School Champions Scotland promotional leaflet can be viewed in A4 or A5 formats.
If you have any questions or would like to speak to a member of our team before applying please email education@stonewallscotland.org.uk or telephone on 0131 474 8019.
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